People
-
The Old Hooker Place
As told to Janet A. Whitehead on January 1, 1998 by Fern Augusta Frain Whitehead It was April 2, 1896, when David and Mary Hooker first greeted their newborn daughter, Nancy Flora, in one of the bedrooms. She was to grow up to be the mother of Mrs. C. A. Whitehead, Fern Frain, a longtime Longwood resident and our historian on this old house. The family home was nothing fancy, no gingerbread or ornamentation, just an old Florida-style single-story Cracker home. Built up on high posts, with board and batten siding and wood shingles for its roof, it was built…
-
Peter Demens
Mr. Demens arrived in Longwood in 1881 when he was 31 years old. He was born into Russian nobility in St. Petersburg, Russia, and his birth name was Pyotr Alekseyevich Dementyev. He served as an officer in the Imperial Guards. After his parents died, he inherited their estates at an early age but had little success with them and decided to emigrate to America. Upon arrival in Longwood, he had sufficient funds to purchase 80 acres for an orange grove and a one-third interest in a sawmill. According to his account, he worked diligently to clear the land for orange…
-
Clouser-Niemeyer-Bistline Family
This illustrates the genealogy that led to the connection of these three famous Longwood families. ____________________ _____________| Josiah Benjamin | | Elizabeth || Clouser | <-m-> | Clouser || 1838-1920 |(cousins)| 1846-1910 ||____________________| | |_____________| | _______________ |________________ | Fred Niemeyer | <-m-> | Frances Clouser || 1864-1924 | | | 1870-1953 ||_______________| | |_________________| | ___________|___ ____________ | Addie | | John Aaron | | Neimeyer | <-m-> | Bistline | | 1889-1965 | | 1889-1978 | |_____________| |____________|
-
Rodger Smithson, Oral History
Mr. Rodger SmithsonInterviewed by Amy Marie Cantley Amy Marie Cantley: The oral interview recording is being made as part of a collection for the Seminole County Public Library. These interviews capture the stories and experiences of Seminole County residents who have resided in the county since 1960 or before. Today is Monday, January 8, 2024. My name is Amy Marie Cantley. I am interviewing Mr. Rodger Smithson at his residence in Oviedo, FL. Mr. Smithson, do I have permission to record this interview and make it publicly accessible on the library website?Mr. Rodger Smithson: Yes, you do.Cantley: Do I have…
-
Connie McMillon Thomas, Oral History
Transcript This interview was conducted on January 12, 2024, at the Casselberry branch of the Seminole County Public Library. The interviewer is Amy Marie Cantley. It is part of an oral history series and a specific effort to collect stories of those who attended Rosenwald School in East Altamonte. Amy Marie Cantley This oral history interview recording is being made as part of a collection for the Seminole County Public Library. These interviews capture the stories and experiences of residents in the area, and students and educators from the Rosenwald School located in east Altamonte, Florida. Today is Friday, January…
-
Geraldine Wright, Oral History
2024 Interview at the Casselberry Library with Geraldine Wright Mrs. Geraldine Wright shares about her childhood in Sanford, education, and early career in Brooklyn,New York, and Return to Sanford with her husband. Mrs. Wright discusses her time as an educator inSeminole County Schools and Principal of Goldsboro Elementary School. She is now active in several civic organizations. Photos
-
Ingrid Hyman Bryant, Oral History
Oral history conducted on January 4, 2024 at the Casselberry branch fo the Seminole County Public Library by Amy Marie Cantley with longtime Oviedo resident Ingrid Hyman Bryant. Transcript Amy Marie Cantley: This oral history interview recording is being made as part of a collection for the Seminole County Public Library. These interviews capture the stories and experiences of Seminole County residents who have resided in the county since 1960 or before. Today is Thursday, January 4th, 2024. My name is Amy Marie Cantley, and I am interviewing Mrs. Ingrid Bryant at the Central Ranch Library in Casselberry, FL. Mrs.…
-
Cora Snead – Oral History
By Amy Marie Cantley, Recorded November 30th, 2023 @ Casselberry Public Library Transcript AMY MARIE CANTLEY: This oral history interview recording is being made as part of a collection for the Seminole County Public Library. These interviews capture the stories and experiences of residents in the area and students and educators from the Rosenwald School located in East Altamonte, Florida. Today is Thursday, November 30th, 2023. My name is Amy Marie Cantley, and I am interviewing Mrs. Cora Snead at the Central Branch Library in Casselberry, Florida. Mrs. Snead, do I have permission to record this interview and make it…
-
Janet Gilliand – Oral History
Janet spoke at the Historic Society member meeting on February 18, 2024. Her family has been in Longwood since the 1940s, in its fifth generation now. They purchased a property along the north shore of Lake Ruth, which now is essentially a family compound with multiple houses where several generations live. She recalls her early years in Longwood and seeing the landscape evolve around their once-country oasis.
-
William Beebee
William Beebee was the father-in-law of Howard Loder. He moved to Longwood to be near his daughter and grandkids between 1928 and 1933. He was a woodworker, so he decided to honor his new town with a series of cypress-carved signs. These were delivered to several organizations like the Baptist Church, Fire Department, and Longwood Civic League. The Longwood Civic League sign is now owned by the Longwood Historic Society; it is mounted in a storage closet. Beebee presented it to the Civic League in November 1929. This is the only known surviving sign.